I originally connected with Sarah M. of Ruthlessly Handmade through Instagram when she first began her business. It has been such a joy to watch Ruthlessly Handmade evolve since it began in January of 2021. Sarah began creating unique quilted items and taking on custom orders, but she has recently found a passion for pattern testing for other creatives. Read more about her business and creative area below. Also be sure to check out how you can connect with Sarah M. at the bottom of the post!
Please explain your main creative area.
I like to create all of the biggest, brightest, and bold colors that I can think of! I do this with pattern testing, quilting, crocheting, cross stitching, but my kind of colors can be toned down with my custom quilt orders, lol 😀
Tell us about your business and what your favorite thing about your business is.
My business RH is JUST a hobby! I am not trying to make a living from what I do, which I am VERY thankful for because I might hate it after a while…so everything you see from me is what I WANT to do! My favorite thing about my business, as it has evolved since January, is that I am my own boss 😆 I am allowed to take breaks when I need, and I am allowed to sew late into the night when I am really feeling my audiobook or recent fad of trash TV!
What has been your favorite make or creation so far?
I discuss my BLM quilt over at @this.mountain.life (go check it out, and what it means to me! ❤), so here I’ll point out my recent collection of three RH branding quilts that I got to make! My best friend did my branding for my business–and y’all know I am OBSESSED with my colors–so I got to use my log cabin block over and over with my colors in three different ways! I loved getting to make a collection that was special and important to me!
What is one tip you'd recommend to someone just getting started in your creative area?
I’ve erased and retyped this sentence three times now because I’m trying to find a polite way to state that a beginner will probably need a steady source of extra income to feed your craft. Quilting and creating holds a special place in my heart–will preach until the cows come home–but I will admit when I think about equity and inequality in the quilt world…it bugs me that people who don’t have extra, discretionary funds can’t really get into quilting. I understand there are cities in America TRYING to create free access to machines by the hour, but machines are expensive! Fabric is expensive! Everything is expensive! This is not the bright, upbeat, and encouraging answer this question is probably looking for, but when people message me how I do what I do…what they can do to get into it…this is the unfortunate first tip I always give them 😔
What are 3 words you'd use to describe your creative style?
- Bright
- Mixed-Prints
- whatever-the-hell-I-am-
currently-feeling LOL
Do you have an upcoming make, launch, or project that you are excited about?
Hmmmm. I have recently become OBSESSED with pattern testing for makers as I have ZERO desire to create my own pattern for other people’s consumption (I can do quilt math with the best of ’em, that’s not the problem), so I would say I am MOST excited about the patterns I’ve yet to test that I get to share with others and brag about the pattern creators!!!!
What is one skill (either craft related or not) that you wish you knew how to do?
I think it is kind of a shame I don’t know how to speak Spanish. I took French in high school because I thought it was cool, and then I continued my French career into college because I just flat out enjoyed it. Now, I’m seeing this love of Francais as a little futile because I should have taken Spanish and done my part to help the future of this planet.
What would your high school superlative be? (Most likely to...)
I *almost* got Most Likely to Succeed, because anything I want to conquer I most definitely do, but the girl who did get it was much nicer than I was and definitely deserved it lol 😊
What's the oddest food you've ever tried and did you like it?
I tried Yak meat when I was in Tibet, and it was delicious! Trying this wasn’t odd, though, just maybe something most Westerners haven’t had yet…so I WILL say now! I am plant-based! Right before I made RH official, I made the decision to become vegan. Being vegan has definitely been very odd LOL, considered the oddest to some people, but I LOVE being vegan. My stomach doesn’t hurt after I eat anymore, my skin is the clearest it’s ever been and overall, I am the healthiest I’ve ever been! It seems my husband and I hurt more feelings by being vegan than others hurt our feelings by not being vegan…lol…but I don’t see myself ever transitioning back now that I see plants for what they are and should be.
If you had to lose one of your five senses, which one would you give up and why?
SIGHT, without a doubt. I never want to be without my hearing–all of the music and laughter I would miss out on! I never want to be without my touch–personal touch with my crafts and fellow humans is how I connect! I never want to be without my smell and taste–all the yummy food experiences I might miss out on (and let’s face it, the dose of lavender we all have to take a hit of to relax, lol). Sight seems the easiest for me to let go, even though I would miss seeing my hunky hubs 😉
Lastly, where can the readers connect with you and see more of your work?
Instagram is the best way to reach me! I have a page on Facebook, but most people don’t really communicate there anymore. I don’t have a website yet, but maybe one day soon!
Find Sarah and more of her beautiful work on Instagram here!
IOFTA Creative Convos are bi-monthly short Q&A style blog posts that allow me, Katherine, to share other wonderful creatives and small business owners in not only the quilting space but in the creative fiber arts and textile space.
The goal is to provide a seat at the table for all types of small business creatives and to introduce my community to businesses that they may not have connected with yet.